County Administrator Jeff Aludo recommended a 1-mill increase in Hamilton County's real-estate transfer tax as part of the administrator's recommended 2026 general fund budget, telling the Board of County Commissioners the levy would generate about $4.7 million annually and help close a roughly $60 million gap between departmental requests and projected revenues.

Aludo said the recommended general fund for 2026 is $402,400,000, a $12.7 million (3.3%) increase from 2025, and attributed pressures to inflation, wages, and expiring pandemic-relief funds. He told commissioners a portion of transfer-tax revenue would be directed toward a consistent funding stream for affordable housing as part of board policy direction.

The recommendation drew immediate and sustained public opposition during the county's evening budget hearing. Kelly Meyer, former president of the Realtor Alliance of Greater Cincinnati and chair of the Commercial Council, said raising the transfer tax while claiming to support affordability is contradictory and warned modest increments can derail deals: "You cannot claim support for affordability on one hand, while raising taxes on homeowners and businesses on the other." She said the median Hamilton County home now sells for about $285,000 and that higher prices and fees are already constraining transactions.

Commercial brokers and attorneys repeated that theme. Stash Galasinski, a commercial real-estate broker, said businesses and investors are choosing neighboring counties or states because "the math is better" and described transfer taxes and other costs as a factor in site selection. Local real-estate attorney Robert Calabrese warned that taxing transactions can be "volatile" and self-defeating, saying higher transfer taxes reduce deals and downstream revenue from construction, sales and payroll taxes.

Small landlords and investor representatives also urged caution. Jim Shapiro, who manages several hundred small rental units, said a transfer-tax increase "is not taxing Wall Street" but will land on middle-income, mom-and-pop landlords who then pass costs to renters and further destabilize affordable rental supply.

Speakers representing housing and social services urged the board to protect low-income residents and to preserve other program funding. Joanna Glover, who spoke about domestic-violence shelter and child-welfare partnerships, described services used by hundreds of adults and children and asked commissioners to sustain support. Dusty Bryant of the Urban League requested $250,000 for the Building Futures apprenticeship program to maintain administrative capacity; alumni described employment outcomes and the program's role in workforce entry.

Commissioners responded to public comment and the administrator's presentation by stressing the competing demands the county faces. Commissioner Reese said the budget sets priorities and repeatedly framed her review through an "affordability" lens, saying she was not in favor of raising homeowner burdens. Administrator Aludo and commissioners also discussed reserves and how site-readiness funding could be handled if a major economic-development project arises in-year.

No formal action was taken on the transfer-tax recommendation at the hearing; the administrator presented it as part of a recommended budget for board consideration. The board heard the public and indicated it will weigh the competing priorities — including obligations for public safety, courts and children's services — before any adoption.

The hearing proceeded to the Metropolitan Sewer District budget presentation after public comment closed. The commission adjourned following the MSD presentation and public comment on MSD matters.